PUPPETEERS
DeAngelo Starnes on Making Moves
2010-07-09

Curt Flood would be proud. NBA superstars Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and most notably, LeBron James have manipulated their free agency status to construct rosters stocked of top talent. If you’re a hoops fan, you’ve never seen anything like this before. 

 LeBron James played the free agency game like no other. Held captive the media. Knocked the BP oil disaster off the front pages. Knocked joblessness out of folks’ minds. Knocked the heat outta the Heat.

Players controlling the rosters. Love the concept. There was a time when the owners and general managers constructed rosters via the draft, trades, and free agency. No input from players. But the players are responsible for the product we purchase and watch - the product we consume. LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh are breaking the mold. I hope the trend continues.

Lover of comic books I was growing up, this is like the Avengers and Justice League. This is like Superman and Batman on the same team, Iron Man and Captain America on the same squad.

Curt Flood is smiling. For those not in the know, Flood was a fantastic baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals. Blood, sweat, and tears brought him fame, relative wealth, and stability. He contributed to his team’s success and championships. Suddenly, management, without his consent or consultation, traded him to the then sorry-ass Philadelphia Phillies. Flood refused to report. He sued to assert his right to control his destiny. Ultimately, he lost the legal argument but eventually won the point – although he didn’t reap the benefits.

Flood is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In any sport where the athlete’s free agent’s status reigns, Flood should be in its Hall of Fame. He singularly is responsible for the riches these athletes enjoy. He took that Harriet Tubman step that today’s athletes are too scared to take. The Muhammad Ali example may be too much for today’s athlete. Ask Michael Jordan.

In this horrible economy where ordinary folks are trying to figure out how to pay rent (or mortgage) and groceries, their sons are reaping millions. Who’s paying to watch them ply their trades? Good question. But there must be plenty of persons willing to part with money they either have, or don’t, for entertainment.

I think this marks a paradigm shift in sports. At least in hoops. Cats come out of college and have no choice which professional sports outfit they play for via the draft. It’s like a private privileges clause that says you can earn millions but can’t choose your squad. Fair trade-off, it appears. But after you earn your keep via training and hard-balling, you’ve earned the right to determine where you continue to ball, right?

At least that’s the theory Curt Flood tested. I ball. Fannies in seats, TV contract based on watchability of my talent, I get to dictate where I ball. Theory, right?
Reality. Hell no! Because me and the investors must realize a profit. This ain’t a charity for hoops fans.

Which brings me back to the original point. The players, rather than the owners and management, dictate the make-up of the team. I like that. Reminds me of when we chose sides. The chooser sized you up and determined whether you could ball. You had to prove yourself to the ballers based on skill in motion. Not skill in controlled environment.

 Curt Flood’s vision. These players got together and determined roster construction. Payment is village-wide visionary. Wade, Bosh, and Lebron discussed their destinations and what the financial implications could be on each other. Did their agents induce the meeting and supply the information? Advise them on the information? Influence the information? The flow of the information? The interpretation of the information? Consultation is good, but ultimately what does the talent have to say?

 Curt Flood is not surprised. The power-moves being made is how we raised these guys. I’m glad these cats are conspiring. Owners and managers have done it for years. They laud Jackie Robinson. Control move.

Curt Flood? Owners, managers, and writer couldn’t get their arms around that maneuver even though they understood the notion. Flood had balls to articulate the feelings of most players. Owners know who butters their bread had to cede to free agency. They hated it because they knew the players were finally thinking like them.
That’s the fear expressed in the Terminator series. The robots will take over. Welcome to the Future. About time. Magic, Michael, Bird, and Kareem should be happy. Because would you rather receive the twenty-million check? Or write it? That’s the next move.